WHAT IS THE HEART TRUTH

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http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/whatis/index.htm

Every woman needs to know about heart disease.

NEW YORK— First Lady Laura Bush talks to women about The Heart Truth and warns them about the dangers of heart disease at a press conference during Olympus Fashion Week.

NEW YORK — Executive of 7th on 6th, Fern Mallis (left), and renowned fashion designer Oscar de la Renta (right) join First Lady Laura Bush, ambassador for The Heart Truth, to unveil one of her Oscar de la Renta red dresses at Olympus Fashion Week.  It was announced at the event that Mrs. Bush's red dress would join The Heart Truth Road Show, a traveling exhibit to raise awareness of women's heart disease.

NEW YORK — Fashion icon Beverly Johnson, wearing Nicole Miller for The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2004, sashays down the runway for the first time in over a decade during Olympus Fashion Week.

NEW YORK — Red Dress fashion show host Patti Hanson (center in white) with fashion icons Beverly Johnson (left) and Vanessa Williams (right) celebrate the red hot finale of The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2004 during Olympus Fashion Week.  Hanson, Johnson, and Williams stand alongside other top models wearing designer red dresses from The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2004.

Leading Causes of Death for American Women (2006)
One in three women dies from heart disease. It's the #1 killer of women, regardless of race or ethnicity.  It also strikes at younger ages than most people think, and the risk rises in middle age.  And, two-thirds of women who have heart attacks never fully recover.

The Heart Truth is that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.  In fact, one in three women dies of heart disease.  But heart disease also can lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life.

Unfortunately, most women don't know The Heart Truth.  Less than half know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.

And The Heart Truth is that women don't take their risk of heart disease seriously—or personally. Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their own chance of developing heart disease.

Goal of the Campaign

To make women more aware of the danger of heart disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and partner organizations are sponsoring a national campaign called The Heart Truth.  The campaign's goal is to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease.

Who Are We Trying to Reach?

The campaign is especially aimed at women ages 40 to 60, the time when a woman's risk of heart disease starts to rise.  But its messages are also important for younger women, since heart disease develops gradually and can start at a young age—even in the teenage years.  Older women have an interest too—it's never too late to take action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease.  Even those who have heart disease can improve their heart health and quality of life. The Heart Truth for Women: It's Ageless >

The campaign tells women that "The Heart Truth starts with you.  Talk to your doctor, find out your risk, and take action today to lower it."  Its messages are underscored by the moving stories of real women who are living with heart disease.  Ann, Paula, Rosario, and others have allowed the campaign to tell The Heart Truth through their faces, voices, and experiences in hopes that their Stories From The Heart will help other women take heart health seriously.Surveys and Research (Published February 2004)

The Heart Truth: Getting the Message
In a new survey conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA), 46 percent of American women surveyed knew that heart disease is the leading killer of women.  In 2000, 34 percent knew and, in 1997, 30 percent knew.

The Heart Truth about Heart Disease and Risk Factors
Many people believe that as much as 50 percent of heart disease occurs in persons who don't have any of the traditional risk factors.  New research shows that, contrary to popular belief, more than 95 percent of those who die from heart disease have at least one of its risk factors.